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the person who has to get than those svelte youngsters
through it. She didn't know from would ever be. A womb that
experience but she had been would soon be too radioactive to
around it enough to know. She support the tiny life trying to
pulled off her swim cap and grow inside. Wide hips, full of
pulled the band out of her hair. muscle to shoot through the wa-
The wet hair reluctantly fell down ter, but apparently not of the
and slapped the back of her child-bearing variety. Small,
neck. Her glory. peach sized, cancerous breasts.
Broad, mannish shoulders. A
Glory. thick neck and a face that was
That was going to be the more handsome than pretty. This
baby's name. The miracle baby. is my life.
The one who defied all odds and
got born anyway. She hadn't Bendspringtuckstraight. It
even told anyone yet. She was was quick, but not so quick that
going to have a party. But first she didn't gasp a little on the
she was going to plan a special way down. Maybe if she stayed
night for her husband. Climb into under there the rest of it would
his arms and whisper it directly go away. Surrounded by sono-
to him. gram sounds for the rest of her
/'m going to have a baby. life, maybe she could rest. She
Your baby. went to the ladder and pulled
She could have adopted, but herself up, but found that she
the narcissism was too much. She was sobbing again. This would
wanted to prove to the world: not do. She dove back in. She
I'm normal! My baby is normal! swam to the shallow end, came
I can do this! up with chlorine and tears mixing
But she couldn't. She knew on her face and went back under
what she could do though. She again. lap after lap until she
wrung out her hair and then thought she would burst. Into the
tucked it back into place. Then looking glass. Reality would
she fit her swim cap snuggly over have to wait.
the curls. She stood and looked
out over the water. eclipse 45
Maybe down there really is a
different world.
She stretched and paused.
Big feet, long toes to grab the
pool's edge. Short legs and a
thick torso, more of a dolphin
